Hair treatment pads for combs



1958 E. VAN MEER, JR

HAIR TREATMENT PADS FOR COMBS Filed Dec. '7, 1955 United States Patent HAIR TREATMENT PADS FOR COIVIBS Ernest Van Meer, IL, Chicago, Ill.

Application December 7, 1955, Serial No. 551,588 Claims. (Cl. 132-110 A number of proposals have been made for pads to be applied to a comb for use in care of the hair. Such pads can be moistened with a treatment liquid, so that as the hair is combed, the liquid will be applied to the hair. Any material to be applied to the hair may be applied in this manner, for example, tonics or other medication, shampoo, oils, curling or setting compounds, or dyes, or the pad may sometimes be used to advantage when dry.

Pads of this type in the past have either been too expensive or failed to be fully satisfactory. According to the present invention, an extremely inexpensive and satisfactory pad is provided. It is quite important that the pads be very low in cost, inasmuch as they are throwaway items. According to the present invention, the pad may comprise simply two layers of absorbent cotton stitched together by a single line of loose, widely-spaced stitches.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and from the drawings.

Designation of figures Fig. l is a perspective view of the comb with the pad of this invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view through the comb and pad of Fig. 1, being taken approximately on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the pad as manufactured.

Fig. 4 is a view of the pad with the two pad layers drawn apart to show the widely-spaced loose stitching by which they are secured together.

Although the law requires a full and exact description of at least one form of the invention, such as that which follows, it is, of course, one purpose of a patent to cover each new inventive concept therein no matter how it may later be disguised by variations in form or, additions of further improvements; and-the appended claims are intended to accomplish this purpose by particularly pointing out the parts, improvements, or combinations in which the inventive concepts are found.

General description This invention may be said to relate to the combination of a comb 11 and-a pad 12 applied thereto as seen in Fig. 1. The construction of the pad and the manner in which it is secured to the comb can be seen best in Fig. 2. Here it is seen that the pad comprises two layers 13 held together by a thread 14 forming stitches. The comb 11 is thrust down between the two pads, or two layers, its tines 16 passing between the stitches of the thread 14.

The successive stitches of thread 14 should be spaced apart widely enough to correspond approximately to the spacing of the spaces between the tines of the comb for which the pad is intended. In addition, the stitches should be much looser than would be used normally for sewing together two pieces of material. Ideally, the

. stitches should be loose enough so that when the comb is inserted between the two halves of the pad, the stitches will be under tension but not broken. It is desirable that the stitches be under tension, so as to hold the pad more firmly on the comb.

The pad halves 13 are preferably formed of a material which not only absorbs liquid well but is fairly resilient, at least while dry. The resiliency will help to hold the stitches under tension when the comb is thrust between the pad halves. After the material is soaked, it will cling to the comb somewhat by the action of the liquid so that the'resiliency at that time is less important. Ordinary layers of absorbent cotton have been found to be satisfactory for the pad halves. Of course, the absorbent cotton coming in such layers is loosely felted.

If only a few pads are to be made, the layers may be cut to the desired size or bought precut or provided by spreading out the cotton bought-in the form of a small ball. The

, pads may be stitched together by an ordinary sewing machine. In that event, the most convenient way of getting the stitches right may be to insert a comb between the two layers, remove the presser foot of the machine (or reducing its pressure) and turn the wheel of the machine by hand, so as to ease the needle down gently through the cotton to find the spaces between the teeth. The same results may be accomplished by placing the comb over both layers and operating the machine by hand, guiding the needle down in the spaces between the teeth and at the same time applying a light pressure on the comb either by hand or by the presser foot. Upon removal of the comb, the layers may be spread or expanded slightly so that the stitches no longer project beyond the outer surface of the pad. For producing greater quantities, automatic operation would of course be worked out. For example, long webs of the cotton layers may be fed in pairs through a sewing machine adjusted to take stitches of the appropriate length and with little or no tension on the thread. If the threads are found to be too tight with such production, the layers may be spaced apart slightly during stitching by a blade or fingers extending in from one or both sides approximately to the needle with just room for the needle to pass.

Self-locking stitching is preferred so that the film web may be cut off into the appropriate lengths without danger of raveling of the stitches.

A pad found satisfactory is one in which the pad halves are'made of long fiber surgical cotton balls and are about 1 /2 inches by 2 /2 inches by /8 inch (thickness before stitching) with about seven stitches to the inch. The drawings fail to illustrate fully the billowy nature of the cotton which is preferred. Six stitches to the inch are also satisfactory. Tests tend to indicate that, with stitches larger than three to the inch, the pad begins not to be held against the comb properly. With more than ten to the inch, there begins to be difficulty in accommodating the larger teeth. It will be observed that, with stitches larger than this smallest, several comb teeth may fit between each pair of adjacent stitches, so that it makes less difference whether the comb has fine or coarse teeth than if the looseness of the thread must be just right for a single tooth. Of course, these dimensions may be varied. A length more than about 4 inches is likely to be wasteful and to leave too little comb exposed to serve as a handle. A length less than 2 inches would excessively reduce the efliciency of application. A width extending greater than about one inch away from the stitches is probably inefficient in holding too much of the treatment liquid in positions less likely to come in contact with the hair. If the pad does not extend at least about one-half an inch from the stitches, holding it while inserting the comb is likely to be difiicult. A suitable thickness of absorbent cotton is fairly apparent from Figs. 1 and 2. The chief require- J? ment is that the thickness be enough to provide the resiliency necessary to receive and grip the teeth. If cotton if each is doubled over before they are stitched together.

The foregoing pads have been found very satisfactory Besides appl ing material for the uses indicated above. to the hair, another use for such pads, either dry or moistened, is the removal from the hair and scalp, as the hair is combed, of extraneous matter, for example, dust and dirt particles or other contamination; and particularly the numerous loose particles and clippings of hair resulting from a trimming of cutting of the hair. Used in this manner in the daily grooming of the hair, such pads improve the appearance of the hair by removing dulling films and by polishing and restoring a uniform luster to the hair.

I claim:

1. The combination of a comb and pad comprising two layers of absorbent material stitched together by a line of stitches extending through both layers and through the inter-tooth spaces of the comb, and holding the layers snugly against the sides of the comb, with each layer entirely on one side of the comb.

2. The combination of a comb and a pad' comprising two layers of resilient absorbent material stitched together by a line of stitches extending through both layers and through the inter-tooth spaces of the comb, and holding the layers snugly against the sidesof the comb, with each layer entirely on one side of the comb.

3. The combination of a comb and a pad comprising two layers of resilient absorbent cotton stitched together bya line of stitches extending through both layers and through the inter-tooth spaces of the comb, and holding the layers snugly against the sides of the comb", with each layer entirely on one side of'the comb.

4. A pad comprising two separate pieces of resiliently compressible loosely matted absorbent cotton padding stitched together along a straight line by contihiious tli'r'ad stitching with the stitches through both pieces and of a degree of looseness to receive teeth of a hair comb between successive stitches and to be placed under tension by said teeth when said teeth are inserted between the pieces; the pad being from two inches to four inches long, and in Width extending from one-half inch to one inch to each side of the line of stitches whereby, when a comb is inserted between the pieces, each piece may be folded back to expose a folded portion toward thepoints of the teeth.

5. A- pad comprising two separate pieces of absorbent and resiliently compressible padding stitched together along a straight line by continuous thread stitching with the stitches through both pieces and of a degree of looseness to receive teeth of a hair comb between successive stitches and to be placed under tension by said teeth when said teeth are inserted between the pieces; the pad being from two inches to four inches long, and in width extending from one-half inch to one inch to-each side of the line of stitches whereby, when a comb is inserted 7 between the pieces, each piece may be folded back to expose a folded portion toward the points of the teeth.

Middlecraft Encyclopedia (Carroll), published'by Rinehart and Company, Inc. (New York), 1947. 

